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Back garden overlooked

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  • 24-04-2020 2:12am
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭


    As can be seen from the picture below, my garden is very overlooked. This decking area is the area of my back garden that gets the sun, so I don't really want to take the decking up to plant trees.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do here to make it more private. The fence there is 1.8m. I might put some trellis up but that won't make that much of a difference.Not sure what to do without taking up decking and planting trees. Any ideas?

    http://imgur.com/gallery/HISVt0t


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    #2
    Charlie19
    Registered Users Posts: 11,752 ✭✭✭✭Charlie19


    You're decking as it is gives you more privacy from your neighbours at the rear, so maybe build a pergola covering the decking area. It won't give you complete privacy but it will certainly make it more private from adjoining neighbours.


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    #3
    cheif kaiser
    Registered Users Posts: 632 ✭✭✭cheif kaiser


    I agree that a pergola is great for privacy, however, they are designed for shading an area. I have one and I love it but underneath can be fairly shady. If this is not what you want, I would suggest Bamboo which works really well as a privacy fence. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/OsoLLAEya7NlqY_DphX2QKfKQRRTwKBz3DObrvUUVZRiJMvSt7j5KSvS6WYQ4ONnUDTrpCX5sMKz37v8bFAZoSaYg3tlvi3j_glLfoFso2mR


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    #4
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,564 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Obviously those are bedroom windows. You surely use your garden during the day when bedrooms are used less and so surely there is less of an issue of someone actually standing watching you ?

    Some timbers across as a pergola as suggested and grow some climbers across. It will obscure the view slightly but that’s all.

    You can’t live in that high density situation and not be overlooked in some way.

    I’d have thought it’s a matter of caring less.


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    #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Charlie19 wrote: »
    You're decking as it is gives you more privacy from your neighbours at the rear, so maybe build a pergola covering the decking area. It won't give you complete privacy but it will certainly make it more private from adjoining neighbours.

    This is the only part of the garden that gets sun so I don't want to cover it in. The rest of the garden is shaded due to the surrounding houses


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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    _Brian wrote: »
    Obviously those are bedroom windows. You surely use your garden during the day when bedrooms are used less and so surely there is less of an issue of someone actually standing watching you ?

    Some timbers across as a pergola as suggested and grow some climbers across. It will obscure the view slightly but that’s all.

    You can’t live in that high density situation and not be overlooked in some way.

    I’d have thought it’s a matter of caring less.

    Ye it's less of an issue, bit it's still an issue that I can do something about. Them windows let the opposite houses look straight into my kitchen too so it's something I've been wanting to do something about.

    The garden would look so much better to if there was something nice there rather than neighbours bedroom windows.

    I think maybe getting a long and tall planter and putting some clumping bamboo in would give me the best bang for my buck


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    #7
    homer911
    Registered Users Posts: 5,119 ✭✭✭homer911


    I'd have put in some bamboo planting before putting in the decking, but pots/planters are your best option. You will need to keep them well watered and it may be a bit late in the season already for them..


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    #8
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    I agree that a pergola type structure could be pretty good - given what I can see I'd go with five posts - four corners and one between the two rear corners - from the "5th column" extend supports that go at 45 degrees to the front corner supports. At each column put in a good sized planter and train up creepers that go up each support, run along the side beams and then go along the angled beams.

    The supports at the back 2m high, supports at the front 2.5m, which would help with the kitchen "stariness" issue.


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    #9
    Lurching
    Registered Users Posts: 1,239 ✭✭✭Lurching


    If you go higher on the back wall, bear in mind that you will take a lot of light out of the adjoining neighbours garden. You may then have an unhappy neighbour.


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    #10
    Tabby McTat
    Registered Users Posts: 258 ✭✭Tabby McTat


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Ye it's less of an issue, bit it's still an issue that I can do something about. Them windows let the opposite houses look straight into my kitchen too so it's something I've been wanting to do something about.

    The garden would look so much better to if there was something nice there rather than neighbours bedroom windows.

    I think maybe getting a long and tall planter and putting some clumping bamboo in would give me the best bang for my buck

    We had a similar problem and planted a screen of Golden Bamboo at the end of the garden last year.


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    #11
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    homer911 wrote: »
    I'd have put in some bamboo planting before putting in the decking, but pots/planters are your best option. You will need to keep them well watered and it may be a bit late in the season already for them..

    Decking was there when we moved in, I would have done the same.I thought planting season for bamboo is March to June?

    Thanks for the suggestions on the pergola but its a non runner as we want to keep the area in full sun


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    #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    barrac wrote: »
    We had a similar problem and planted a screen of Golden Bamboo at the end of the garden last year.

    That looks lovely. Golden bamboo doesn't grow well in containers though so I'm going to go have to go with a Fargesia type


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    #13
    Tabby McTat
    Registered Users Posts: 258 ✭✭Tabby McTat


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    That looks lovely. Golden bamboo doesn't grow well in containers though so I'm going to go have to go with a Fargesia type

    It's a great job. Went from being able to see our neighbours kitchen to a total screen. We checked with them first as we are in an estate.

    The only thing to watch was we didn't realise how much water the bamboo needs at the start. The original plants ended up getting very dry and withered on us. Replaced with 5 new clumps and put the hose for 5-10 mins every few days to get them up and running.


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    #14
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭standardg60


    Don't see why you couldn't take up a few deck boards, plant a couple of trees in between the joists, then put in some noggins to create a frame circa 1ft away from the trunk, and cut and re-lay the deck boards around them. You could then just trim the boards back a bit as the tree matures.


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    #15
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,190 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Bit of Laurel, bit of red robin, it'll go way higher than that fence and simple maintain...you need 2 of each to cover that area, buy them as big as you can for instant coverage...


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    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Bit of Laurel, bit of red robin, it'll go way higher than that fence and simple maintain...you need 2 of each to cover that area, buy them as big as you can for instant coverage...

    I've considered red Robin, the problem is waiting for it to grow. I can get nearly instant screening for much much cheaper with bamboo. I'm actually going to plant a red Robin over the other side of the garden that's not as overlooked.

    Laurel will grow too wide and take up a lot of space on the decking and as this is the only part of the garden that gets sun, it want to keep the decking as large an area as possible. Plus the Laurel would need lots of maintenance.

    Thinking I'll go with the golden bamboo


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    #17
    JoChervil
    Registered Users Posts: 2,022 ✭✭✭JoChervil


    Add grill on top of it and let grow ivy or wisteria there

    510918.jpg
    510919.jpg


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    #18
    phormium
    Registered Users Posts: 3,337 ✭✭✭phormium


    That is gorgeous wisteria, I pulled up mine yesterday, it had been planted years and never really did much, certainly did not reach the dizzy heights of those pics, I'd be lucky to get half a dozen flowers on it and it seems to have died off totally over the winter. It was in a lovely sunny sheltered spot and still didn't do! i was very disappointed as they are just beautiful if they looked like above.

    Oddly enough I have also spent hours over the past week pulling out ivy swearing to myself that I would never again plant it anywhere, it is in, behind and through every hedge I have and spreading over the ground in the beds, grand if I wanted ground cover but I don't.

    I have a trellis that was previously covered with ivy but on replacing the trellis I had to cut down the ivy, wouldn't mind but that particular one wasn't giving me problems but for a faster fix I have planted cissus striata there today, it grows fast, does not infiltrate everywhere like the ivy does and is good for screening if it has something to grow against like trellis.


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    #19
    johnayo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,718 ✭✭✭johnayo


    barrac wrote: »
    We had a similar problem and planted a screen of Golden Bamboo at the end of the garden last year.

    I have a very similar situation to you. I wonder how easy it will be to maintain the bamboo. What height and spread will it likely get too. It looks ideal for the screen I need.
    I just took down an horrendous leylandii Planting that was completely out of control. It was out of control 24 years ago when I moved in and I spent too many years trying to control it. The bamboo looks ideal but I hear that it can be difficult to maintain and control, but that may not be accurate.


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    #20
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,070 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    If you plant "standards" (or even pleached) then you can benefit from all the screening without having a lot of growth lower down eating into the deck space. They'll also have lower water requirements.

    Bamboo is fine, I have some myself, but it's not native and so useless for wildlife.


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    #21
    Tabby McTat
    Registered Users Posts: 258 ✭✭Tabby McTat


    It's been fine so far. Grown much thicker since it was planted. It needed a lot of watering when it was planted first. I've trimmed back a few shoots that have grown ar*e-ways but it hasn't gone out of control. For perspective here's a picture of when it was first planted.


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    #22
    todbranson44
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭todbranson44


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/113254786#Comment_113254786

    Pergola is great for privacy but other materials can be used... Maybe a bamboo privacy screen can be used for a good privacy wall for like on this https://bamboo-en.com/bamboo-privacy-screen-outdoor-bamboo-privacy-screens-for-balcony-designs-24-new-pics-2021



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